We are all aware of the old saying, “doctors make the worst patients”. I like to think that, overall, I am a good patient, but apparently in this case I failed to follow my own advice. After 2 months of wearing the cute, slip-on, sandal (aka: flip-flop) pretty much everywhere, my feet are hurting. The poor choice in shoegear has aggravated some arthritis I already had in my great toe joint, and now I can also feet soreness in my arch and ankle from trying to avoid pressure in my big toe. Sound familiar?
To fix the problem, I plan to wear my athletic shoes more often while at home, but I still need something a little dressier, and ok, “cuter” for work. For my foot, I need a fairly stiff sole so that I don’t put too much strain across my big toe joint. Dansko clogs work great for me in the colder months, so my plan is to find a summer pair with the same basic build. They also have some built-in arch support.
Fortunately, Dansko makes a variety of summer shoes that fit that criteria. Stores like Nordstrom, Shoes-N-Feet, and REI carry several. My hope is that with some smarter choices, my feet will be feeling better soon. Another option is considering a custom arch support called an orthotic to put in my shoes. Custom orthotics are generally stronger but thinner and more lightweight than traditional over-the-counter devices, and can work well in most shoes, including sandals.
